US Air Force Says Looking for Alleged Deserter in Ethiopia for Questioning

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is looking for an alleged deserter whose last known location is in Ethiopia.

Staff Sgt. Tefera Melaku Workneh is wanted for questioning, according to an April post on OSI’s Facebook page. He is assigned to the 60th Comptroller Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California.

Workneh is described as standing 70 inches tall and weighing 149 pounds. He is originally from Ethiopia, where he was believed to be as of March 31.

According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a member of the armed forces is guilty of desertion if he:

“Without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away therefrom permanently.

“Quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or

“Without being regularly separated from one of the armed forces enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another on of the armed forces without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated, or enters any foreign armed service except when authorized by the United States.”

Investigators have no information about Workneh’s current whereabouts, OSI spokeswoman Linda Card said.

“My understanding is that Airman Workneh is from Ethiopia and that is his last known location,” Card said in an email to Air Force Times. “Where in Ethiopia, we don’t know. And what he’s doing there other than it’s his home, we don’t know.”

Card also said she has not heard any information indicating that Workneh has gone missing or been kidnapped.

“Nobody knows where he is or what he’s doing until we get some leads and find him,” she said.

OSI asks that anyone with information about Workneh’s current whereabouts call 707-424-6904.
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